“Pecan” Is A Native American Word That Means “A Nut Requiring A Stone To Crack.”

• Nuts are a highly prized food and energy source and are a primary source of nutrients for both humans and wildlife. Many of them are used in cooking, eaten raw, sprouted, or roasted as a snack food, and pressed for oil that is used in cookery and cosmetics.
• Many nuts are excellent sources of vitamins E and B_2.
• Nuts are also rich in protein, folate fiber, and essential minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and selenium.
• Nuts are essential to animals, especially those in temperate climates, as they store acorns and other nuts during the autumn months to keep from starving during late fall, all winter, and early spring.
• Several studies have shown that those who consume nuts regularly are less likely to suffer from coronary heart disease (CHD). It was in 1993 that nuts were first linked to protection against CHD. Since that time, many clinical trials have found that the consumption of various nuts, such as almonds and walnuts, can lower serum LDL cholesterol concentrations.
• One study has shown that people who ate nuts lived two to three years longer than those who did not. Those who were consuming nuts may have been eating less junk food leading to a longer lifespan.
• Cashews are in the same plant family as poison ivy and poison sumac and their itchy oil is contained almost entirely in the shell of the nut.
• Pistachios get their green color from the same pigment (chlorophyll) that lights up your spinach, kale, and other fabulous plant-based foods.
• Walnuts enjoy a distinction like no other — they are the only nut that has omega-3 fatty acids.
• A 2008 study found that almonds (and specifically the fat in almonds) may play a role in increasing healthy bacteria in the gut.
• Brazil nuts are high in selenium, a mineral that has been found to be effective in the fight against prostate cancer.
• True nuts include pecan, sweet chestnut, beech, acorns, hazel, hornbeam and alder. Peanuts, almonds, pistachios, cashews, horse chestnuts and pine nuts are not nuts.
• Squirrels forget where they hide about half of their nuts.
• If you want to harvest nuts from the wild, you will actually be doing what is known as “foraging”.
• Peanuts.  Originating in Brazil and Peru and introduced to America by early explorers, the peanut is primarily grown in China, West Africa and the United States.
• Georgia, North Carolina, Alabama, Texas, Virginia and Oklahoma are our key producing states, with Suffolk, Virginia laying claim to being the peanut capital of the world.
• Pecans.  This truly American nut is principally grown in the Southern and Southwestern United States, and in the countries of Mexico, Israel, and South Africa.
• The name “pecan” is a Native American word of Algonquin origin that was used to describe “all nuts requiring a stone to crack.”
• Almonds.  Almonds have been eaten plain and candied since they were introduced into Roman life.  Native to the Mediterranean countries, the almond was introduced to America from Spain in 1769.
• Cashews.  Native to Brazil and the West Indies, the cashew is chiefly grown in India, Brazil, East Africa, Mozambique and Kenya.
• The United States consumes over 90% of the world’s cashew crop.
• Filberts.  Known as hazelnuts or cobnuts, filberts are grown in Turkey, Iran, Spain, and the United States.  Early settlers introduced the filbert to America in the 1600’s.
• Ancient Greeks believed hazelnuts could treat coughing and baldness.
• Walnuts.  The California walnut is a descendant of the Persian walnut.  Native to Persia, the Greeks called the walnut “the nut of Jupiter,” fit for the gods.
• Walnuts are the oldest known tree food — they date all the way back to 10,000 BC.
• California is the major growing area of walnuts in the United States, along with France, Italy, Turkey, Yugoslavia, Romania, China and India.
• Brazil Nuts.  Brazil nuts are grown in the Amazon area.  The Brazil nut trees grow to a height of 150 feet and have a trunk diameter of nearly eight feet.
• Pistachios.  Ninety percent of all pistachios are grown in Turkey and Iran, with Italy, Afghanistan and the United States (California) making up the remainder of the crop.
• Pistachio is known as the “smiling nut” in Iran and the “happy nut” in China.
• Macadamias.  The macadamia, originating in Australia, was discovered around 1857 but was not harvested until the 1930’s.  The macadamia is one of the rarest nuts. It is cherished as a rare and special delicacy.
• Almonds need honeybees to pollinate them so they can grow
• You can use walnuts as a gluten-free base for anything that needs a crust
• Ancient Greeks believed hazelnuts could treat coughing and baldness
• The magnesium in sunflower seeds can help promote a healthy mood
• Pumpkin seeds should be eaten raw in order to preserve the healthy fats
• Americans spend almost $800 million a year on peanut butter and with six cities in the US named Peanut, it’s safe to say America loves this popular nut butter.
• These are six cities in the U.S. named Peanut: Peanut, California; Lower Peanut, Pennsylvania; Upper Peanut, Pennsylvania; Peanut, Pennsylvania; Peanut, Tennessee; and Peanut West Virginia.
• Recently there was an archeological dig in Israel where researchers found evidence showing that nuts formed a major part of man’s diet 780,000 years ago. Seven varieties of nuts along with stone tools to crack open the nuts were found buried deep in a bog. The nuts were wild almond, prickly water lily, water chestnut and 2 varieties of both acorns and pistachios.
• It takes about 540 peanuts to make a 12-ounce (340-gram) jar of peanut butter. That’s approximately 45 peanuts per ounce (28 grams) of peanut butter.
• Half of the top ten selling candy bars in the US contain peanut or peanut butter.
• There are about 78 pecans used in every pecan pie!

Sources:

National Day Calendar

Foodimentary

Mobile-Cuisine

Truly Good Foods

Natures Field

Just Fun Facts